No one can tell which decision is good or bad, no one has been in a situation like this before. I trust that everyone makes the decisions based on what their gut feeling tells them is the best thing to do. No one has the right to judge others' best decisions. Some stay home, some panic, some sleep at the airport to find a fastest way to get home. Some decide to stay where they are. I decided to stay.
I have been asked multiple times why I didn't return and got even criticized for staying, so I hope this gives a bit more perspective how it definitely isn't that black and white.
I have been asked multiple times why I didn't return and got even criticized for staying, so I hope this gives a bit more perspective how it definitely isn't that black and white.
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| There's very controversial info if the masks work, but I decided to wear one at the airport and during flight. |
Imagine yourself in this situation:
You're abroad (in my case Colombia) with bunch of rumours and hardly no official information. Some people around you start really panicking, some handle the situation more rationally. Your government sends you an email that you should try to return to your home country within 48 hours and contact your airline company to organize it. They also give you information about possible flight that got cancelled before you even had a chance to book.
Your options are:
1. Stay where you are and find a safe and comfortable place where you're prepared to stay for longer time of it comes to that.
2. Try to fly back home with no possibility to reach airline companies. Therefore you're left with the only opportunity to travel hours (my case 1 hour by car and a flight) to get to the airport (Bogota) to line for hours to sign up on a list so that they can tell you if you get a seat on some flight with 2 hour notice. The flight would cost you 1800-3000 euros (easily enough to cover living costs for more than 6 months in Colombia). This then means that you will be forced to stay at the airport to catch the flight if you get one and spend possibly for days there and sleep on the floor or the brought sun chairs with thousands of others (with a huge risk of getting the virus from the crowd). Still there is a very high chance that you won't get a flight and you're stranded in a big city (Bogota) during a complete lockdown with nowhere to go and lot of hostels/hotels not accepting people or even closing and kicking people out. And then it's too late to try to return to the original spot where you were.
What would you decide? It’s not so simple, right?
You're abroad (in my case Colombia) with bunch of rumours and hardly no official information. Some people around you start really panicking, some handle the situation more rationally. Your government sends you an email that you should try to return to your home country within 48 hours and contact your airline company to organize it. They also give you information about possible flight that got cancelled before you even had a chance to book.
Your options are:
1. Stay where you are and find a safe and comfortable place where you're prepared to stay for longer time of it comes to that.
2. Try to fly back home with no possibility to reach airline companies. Therefore you're left with the only opportunity to travel hours (my case 1 hour by car and a flight) to get to the airport (Bogota) to line for hours to sign up on a list so that they can tell you if you get a seat on some flight with 2 hour notice. The flight would cost you 1800-3000 euros (easily enough to cover living costs for more than 6 months in Colombia). This then means that you will be forced to stay at the airport to catch the flight if you get one and spend possibly for days there and sleep on the floor or the brought sun chairs with thousands of others (with a huge risk of getting the virus from the crowd). Still there is a very high chance that you won't get a flight and you're stranded in a big city (Bogota) during a complete lockdown with nowhere to go and lot of hostels/hotels not accepting people or even closing and kicking people out. And then it's too late to try to return to the original spot where you were.
What would you decide? It’s not so simple, right?
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| Crowds at El Dorado airport in Bogota (Source: Las2Orillas) |
The government suggestions are great in theory, but what a lot of us really needed was information and facts about the real situation instead of rumors, and instructions that we could actually follow in real life. This question list by David Abraham in FB group Coronavirus Forum for Nomads & Remote Workers really helped me when struggling with my decision:
First week of complete quarantine/ national lockdown done, 3 more to go! In the next post I will tell you more about this place and how I spend my time while not allowed to exit the hostel premises (not even for a walk or doing groceries).
Stay safe and healthy 💗
Love, Else
- Can my basic needs (prescriptions, funds, etc) be addressed in this environment, for longer than usual?
- Am I in a place that feels comfortable for me?
- Am I ready to be flexible for interruptions to plans just made?
- Are there people (or a person or community) around me who I can ask for help?
- Has a government issued a travel ban or requested people to refrain from traveling to your intended destination or leave?
- Would I be a burden on the local society by taking resources or using limited services?
Stay safe and healthy 💗
Love, Else
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| All good in quarantine paradise. |
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